Well I had my wings clipped for awhile but finally have the free time to stretch my wings. Flying again at TCC SE campus in the evenings and Webb Park before 5 p.m.. Tried Webb Park but too many people are using it for football and soccer practice after 5 p.m. to be safe. TCC-AISD building off of Southeast Blvd is closed after 5 p.m. and the parking lot is empty so flying is uninterrupted. Security has been by so they still don't seem to mind people flying on campus property.
Purchased a NTM 3000kv motor from HobbyKing and put it on an F-22 today. It is smaller than the Turnigy 2223-2900kv I have used in the past and is rated to handle more amps. It mounts just like the Turnigy so it is a simple swap. It doesn't come with any hardware so you need to buy screws and x-mount separately if your not going to use a HK conversion motor mount. Put a 6X4 prop on it and takes it to max amps so you might need to use a smaller prop to be on the safe side. Smaller can will help when mounting in a FunJet or one of the many clones being offered now.
Tech One Swift
Tech One Swift
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Monday, October 29, 2012
Summer of 2012
Haven't been able to update my blog for a while apparently due to a conflict with Google Chrome. Went back to using Explorer and have finally been able to publish a post.
Have not flown much this whole summer. The weather has either been hot, wet, windy or a combination of all three. While off I added a few new planes to my hanger. Bought a couple of T-28 FunFighters and a couple TechOne PopWings.
The T-28's were purchased from BananaHobby. Was a little hesitant buying from them due to the number of negative posts. Received my planes in about a week in good condition. Only complaint was they were missing the linkage packages in both boxes. One call and a week later I had them in hand so I can say I'm satisfied with there service.
These are great little planes for the money. I bought 1000mah batteries so I could keep the same connectors as on all my other batteries. They really do a great job handling the additional weight, manufacturer recommended 800mah batteries. Get over 10 minutes of full throttle flying time. Even with the motor mounted down and to the right the plane wants to torque climb while under hard throttle. These little planes reach around 70 mph with a 3S battery and 90-100 mph with the 4S. Not a good plane for beginners.
The PopWing from NitroPlanes is a lot of fun and at $39 for the kit version a bargain. I installed a Turnigy 2826-6 2200kv motor, 6X4 prop and 30 amp Exceed ESC. This combination balances out nicely with a 3S 1300 mah battery. I tried a 4S 1000mah battery but wing couldn't handle extended WOT. Would suggest you add some carbon fiber ribbon or rods near the motor mount if you plan on high speed passes because the wing's rear surfaces flutter violently when approaching 70 mph. This might be a result of the hinge gap between the rear of the wing and elevons.
Have not flown much this whole summer. The weather has either been hot, wet, windy or a combination of all three. While off I added a few new planes to my hanger. Bought a couple of T-28 FunFighters and a couple TechOne PopWings.
The T-28's were purchased from BananaHobby. Was a little hesitant buying from them due to the number of negative posts. Received my planes in about a week in good condition. Only complaint was they were missing the linkage packages in both boxes. One call and a week later I had them in hand so I can say I'm satisfied with there service.
These are great little planes for the money. I bought 1000mah batteries so I could keep the same connectors as on all my other batteries. They really do a great job handling the additional weight, manufacturer recommended 800mah batteries. Get over 10 minutes of full throttle flying time. Even with the motor mounted down and to the right the plane wants to torque climb while under hard throttle. These little planes reach around 70 mph with a 3S battery and 90-100 mph with the 4S. Not a good plane for beginners.
The PopWing from NitroPlanes is a lot of fun and at $39 for the kit version a bargain. I installed a Turnigy 2826-6 2200kv motor, 6X4 prop and 30 amp Exceed ESC. This combination balances out nicely with a 3S 1300 mah battery. I tried a 4S 1000mah battery but wing couldn't handle extended WOT. Would suggest you add some carbon fiber ribbon or rods near the motor mount if you plan on high speed passes because the wing's rear surfaces flutter violently when approaching 70 mph. This might be a result of the hinge gap between the rear of the wing and elevons.
Monday, April 23, 2012
2012 Wet and Windy
Weather in DFW area this year has been anything but kind to R/C fliers. It has been extremely wet, cool and windy in 2012. Haven't flown nearly as much as last year by this time. Gave me a reason to use the transmitter glove I purchase last summer.
I have added a new profile 3-D plane to the hangar. It is called a Swift by Tech One and is sold by Nitro Planes. I have to say it is probably my new favorite plane. It is constructed of EPP foam and has proven to be quite durable. I'm using a Turnigy L3010B - 1300KV motor, 40 amp ESC with a 11X4.7 prop. Battery cutout can handle anything from a 1300 to a 2200 mah 3S battery. Would recommend using metal gear servos due to the large control surfaces. When installing the landing gear I recommend reinforcing all the plywood mounts by putting addition glue/epoxy on them and filling void between metal landing gear. This won't allow you to remove it but allows for much harder hits when landing.
Recently purchased a Hobby King Bixler. This is probably one of the best beginner planes I could recommend. You can buy it RTF, ARF and as a kit. I went with the ARF version which only requires you to purchase a 20-30 amp ESC, receiver and a battery. If it is in stock at the USA warehouse it cost about $67 delivered to the DFW area in Texas. First thing I would do is remove all the washers hot glued in the nose of the plane. You can install a much larger battery rather than carrying around dead weight. It is weighted for a 1300 mah battery but no problem using up to a 2200 with washers removed. While the motor is good for a beginner I have already bumped mine up to a Turnigy D2826-6 2200KV motor with a 6X4 prop. Hobby King sells a replacement plywood canopy so you can mount FPV camera in the front. For those beginners just learning to fly on their own and nobody to hook up a buddy cord with I would recommend hooking up the rudder to the aileron position of the receiver. Leave the ailerons servos zeroed out and disconnected for the first few flights. When you feel comfortable with flying it this way then just move the rudder servo back to its position on the receiver and then plug in the ailerons.
I have added a new profile 3-D plane to the hangar. It is called a Swift by Tech One and is sold by Nitro Planes. I have to say it is probably my new favorite plane. It is constructed of EPP foam and has proven to be quite durable. I'm using a Turnigy L3010B - 1300KV motor, 40 amp ESC with a 11X4.7 prop. Battery cutout can handle anything from a 1300 to a 2200 mah 3S battery. Would recommend using metal gear servos due to the large control surfaces. When installing the landing gear I recommend reinforcing all the plywood mounts by putting addition glue/epoxy on them and filling void between metal landing gear. This won't allow you to remove it but allows for much harder hits when landing.
Recently purchased a Hobby King Bixler. This is probably one of the best beginner planes I could recommend. You can buy it RTF, ARF and as a kit. I went with the ARF version which only requires you to purchase a 20-30 amp ESC, receiver and a battery. If it is in stock at the USA warehouse it cost about $67 delivered to the DFW area in Texas. First thing I would do is remove all the washers hot glued in the nose of the plane. You can install a much larger battery rather than carrying around dead weight. It is weighted for a 1300 mah battery but no problem using up to a 2200 with washers removed. While the motor is good for a beginner I have already bumped mine up to a Turnigy D2826-6 2200KV motor with a 6X4 prop. Hobby King sells a replacement plywood canopy so you can mount FPV camera in the front. For those beginners just learning to fly on their own and nobody to hook up a buddy cord with I would recommend hooking up the rudder to the aileron position of the receiver. Leave the ailerons servos zeroed out and disconnected for the first few flights. When you feel comfortable with flying it this way then just move the rudder servo back to its position on the receiver and then plug in the ailerons.
Monday, December 12, 2011
New to the Hangar
Well it is time to add a plane to the hangar. Have plenty of jets but a side from a Dynam 185 glider I haven't had a plane to fly lately. Hopefully this one will last longer than my Dynam T-28 Trojan.
Build took a little longer than it should have due to wiring and linkage problems. LED Connector from fuselage to vertical stabilizer came off while pulling slack back into fuselage. Would have been nice to have a bolt on tail section rather than having to glue it on. Second, linkage to flaps and ailerons was too long to adjust out using supplied plastic clevises. Was able to make new z-bends so everything worked out okay.
Hope to maiden it this week after bad weather passes through.Now if it will last longer than the T-28.
Build took a little longer than it should have due to wiring and linkage problems. LED Connector from fuselage to vertical stabilizer came off while pulling slack back into fuselage. Would have been nice to have a bolt on tail section rather than having to glue it on. Second, linkage to flaps and ailerons was too long to adjust out using supplied plastic clevises. Was able to make new z-bends so everything worked out okay.
Hope to maiden it this week after bad weather passes through.Now if it will last longer than the T-28.
Friday, November 18, 2011
New F-22 Megajet
Well it has been awhile since I had a large foam board jet so I constructed a new F-22 Megajet. It has a 40" wingspan and is 56" in length. This time I put the Turnigy 3648-1450KV motor in it. I'm currently using a 60 amp Exceed ESC, 7X4.5 TGS prop and using 2 SkyLipo 3300 mah 3S 40C batteries connected in series to provide 6S voltage.
I have now flown it 3 times and am getting about 5 minutes fly time using some throttle control. I am currently limiting WOT runs due to the fact that when I static tested the motor it was pulling 106 amps at WOT. Not exactly sure why I am getting this high of an amp draw since I used the same exact combination on my XF-18 and it pulled only 70 amps a few months back.
Thinking about dropping back to a 4S battery combination hooked up in parallel so I can increase the prop diameter. Previous Megajet handling characteristics where much greater using a 9X7.5" prop on an 960KV motor. Liked being able to hover and hold high alpha without using high revs.
I have now flown it 3 times and am getting about 5 minutes fly time using some throttle control. I am currently limiting WOT runs due to the fact that when I static tested the motor it was pulling 106 amps at WOT. Not exactly sure why I am getting this high of an amp draw since I used the same exact combination on my XF-18 and it pulled only 70 amps a few months back.
Thinking about dropping back to a 4S battery combination hooked up in parallel so I can increase the prop diameter. Previous Megajet handling characteristics where much greater using a 9X7.5" prop on an 960KV motor. Liked being able to hover and hold high alpha without using high revs.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Hard Foam T-28
Well it has been a while since my last post. The weather has been as bad as it can get for both the flying and the R/C equipment. That has finally started to change with the much cooler weather.
Bought a Dynam T-28 from NitroPlanes but it was short lived. Didn't get the CG far enough forward and it crashed trying to land it. Unfortunately the plane is structurely weakest at the point where the wings screw to the foam body. If you decide to try this plane be sure to place the 3S 2200 mah battery as far forward as possible. Battery will just slide into the cutout for the cockpit keeper at the front.
Since I had usable remnants of the Dynam I used some of it's dimensions to construct my own T-28 out of hard foam from HobbyLobbby/Elmer's. It has a 51" wing span and is 40" long. Currently using a 3015 TowerPro motor from HobbyKing with a 9X7.5 prop.
After a few flights I snapped both the carbon fiber wing spars doing a loop but managed to land it without futher damage. I'm currently replacing them with thicker spars and hope to have it flying soon. Will probably go to a larger diameter prop for additional slow speed thrust.
For those who live locally here in Arlington, Texas we moved back to Webb Community Park while TCC is redoing the remote parking lot next to 360. The park is busy with soccer and football but the additional parking recently built has helped keep us flying.
Time to start hooking up the LEDs now that it is dark by 7:30.
Bought a Dynam T-28 from NitroPlanes but it was short lived. Didn't get the CG far enough forward and it crashed trying to land it. Unfortunately the plane is structurely weakest at the point where the wings screw to the foam body. If you decide to try this plane be sure to place the 3S 2200 mah battery as far forward as possible. Battery will just slide into the cutout for the cockpit keeper at the front.
Since I had usable remnants of the Dynam I used some of it's dimensions to construct my own T-28 out of hard foam from HobbyLobbby/Elmer's. It has a 51" wing span and is 40" long. Currently using a 3015 TowerPro motor from HobbyKing with a 9X7.5 prop.
After a few flights I snapped both the carbon fiber wing spars doing a loop but managed to land it without futher damage. I'm currently replacing them with thicker spars and hope to have it flying soon. Will probably go to a larger diameter prop for additional slow speed thrust.
For those who live locally here in Arlington, Texas we moved back to Webb Community Park while TCC is redoing the remote parking lot next to 360. The park is busy with soccer and football but the additional parking recently built has helped keep us flying.
Time to start hooking up the LEDs now that it is dark by 7:30.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
XB SuperNova
Well not much flying going on recently with all the wind and construction going on where I fly. Flew more in the last couple days than I have the last month and a half.
Just finished a new build this week. I'm calling it a XB SuperNova since it is a modified FoamFighters SuperNova but they used EPP foam. Only used the main outline drawing and vertical stabilizers from their plans since my build is out of foam board from Hobby Lobby (craft store). Maiden went great with only slight repositioning of battery, thanks to FoamFighters exact build specifications.
I'm currently powering it with a Turnigy 2218/2500kv motor with a 6x4 prop. The ESC is a Turnigy Trust 55 amp. Not getting much more than 60-70 mph with this configuration. Tried both 3S and 4S battery configurations. Pulling too many amps with the 4S (60amps wot) so will probably only use 3S (48amps wot) for most flights. This combination got me a measured 97 mph on a smaller F-18 earlier this year.
In the process of building a new one powered by a Turnigy 3648/1450kv using a 6S battery. Used this configuration on the XF-18 and it put out right at 1300 watts. Never used a radar but know it was pushing 90 mph on the XF-18(61"x 41"). Will need lots of carbon fiber if I plan on breaking 100 mph. Plan on reducing height by half now that I have a working model with a known CG to work from.
Just finished a new build this week. I'm calling it a XB SuperNova since it is a modified FoamFighters SuperNova but they used EPP foam. Only used the main outline drawing and vertical stabilizers from their plans since my build is out of foam board from Hobby Lobby (craft store). Maiden went great with only slight repositioning of battery, thanks to FoamFighters exact build specifications.
I'm currently powering it with a Turnigy 2218/2500kv motor with a 6x4 prop. The ESC is a Turnigy Trust 55 amp. Not getting much more than 60-70 mph with this configuration. Tried both 3S and 4S battery configurations. Pulling too many amps with the 4S (60amps wot) so will probably only use 3S (48amps wot) for most flights. This combination got me a measured 97 mph on a smaller F-18 earlier this year.
In the process of building a new one powered by a Turnigy 3648/1450kv using a 6S battery. Used this configuration on the XF-18 and it put out right at 1300 watts. Never used a radar but know it was pushing 90 mph on the XF-18(61"x 41"). Will need lots of carbon fiber if I plan on breaking 100 mph. Plan on reducing height by half now that I have a working model with a known CG to work from.
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